The NAACP Statement on the North Carolina Legislature’s HB2 Repeal Proposal

BALTIMORE, MD – NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks issued the following statement on the North Carolina Legislature’s Repeal of HB2.

“The NAACP condemns the perplexing attempt to address the discriminatory HB2 law through a proposal that on the surface repeals HB2, while subtly embedding a greater layer of discrimination and confusion into the state’s anti-discriminatory laws.

While implying to the public that they are seeking to repeal HB2, this so-called compromise bans one form of discrimination in the short term but by also banning local authorities from protecting their citizens from discrimination until 2020, opens a dirty window for more discrimination. The purported repeal is a sad bait and switch where additional discriminatory practices are being piled on top the current ones embedded within the HB2 legislation. This cloaked compromise only gives the NAACP more to consider as we deliberate on whether to boycott the state. The North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP is leading our efforts on the ground.

This solution signed by the governor and initiated by a Republican-led coalition basically puts a hold on democracy and the ability of local municipalities to create protections for LGBTQ communities on their own. It is a clear reversal of democracy, yet consistent with prior actions that have limited the power of the governor to act in the best interest of the people due to partisan subterfuge.

Ironically, the proposed solution only comes forward due to attempts to avoid the deadline imposed upon the state by the NCAA which threatens to ban championship games through 2022, and not due to a sincere commitment to eliminating discriminatory laws.

Such an insincere response does not fool LGBTQ advocates, and neither will it fool the NCAA, the people of North Carolina, nor the NAACP. The only true response for North Carolina is a complete and full repealing of all the discriminatory and harmful aspects of HB2 and for the state legislature to return democracy to the people and the state of North Carolina. This is the only way to truly make democracy real in North Carolina.”

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Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. You can read more about the NAACP’s work and our six “Game Changer” issue areas here.

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